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Wednesday Links: Tourney Could Be Wild One

By Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer -
3 years ago

The heart of the Big Ten Tournament could be the Hoosiers, but conference balance should translate into a wild tournament. Pat Fitzgerald doesn’t want bowls to be limited to picking seven-win teams. Fran McCaffrey is disappointed that Matt Gatens wasn’t first-team All-Big Ten and Pat Fitzgerald doesn’t want bowls to be limited to picking seven-win teams. What do these stories have in common? They’re all in my Daily Links for Wednesday. Dive in and have a look.

The heart of the Big Ten tournament could be the Hoosiers, writes Herb Gould of the Chicago Sun-Times. I think Gould has it correct. To me, Indiana may be the team to beat in the Big Ten tourney, which starts on Thursday in Indianapolis. The No. 5 Hoosiers arrive as the hottest team in the conference, having won seven of their last eight games and opening vs. No. 12 Penn State; win that, a date with No. 4 Wisconsin looms on Friday; win that, and a game with No. 1 Michigan State could loom on Saturday. It’s difficult not to get ahead of yourself when talking about the Hoosiers. Big man Cody Zeller has been a revelation in the paint, opening options on the perimeter for an array of primo shooters like Jordan Hulls, Will Sheehy and Matt Roth. Bottom line: Watch Indiana, which will be shooting for its first Big Ten tourney crown—and just may get it. (Full tourney bracket here.)

Balance should translate into a wild tournament, writes Jim Polzin of the Wisconsin State Journal. No doubt. The regular season ended with a three-way tie between Michigan State, Michigan and Ohio State in what was an ultra-competitive Big Ten. And Wisconsin and Indiana have proven they can beat anyone in the league. Plus, Purdue has mojo and the ability to play with all the teams if it’s shooting well. What’s it all mean? This could be one of the best league tourneys in the event’s 15th season.

Illinois had a football banquet with a twist, says Shannon Ryan of the Chicago Tribune. In doing so, new coach Tim Beckman is making it clear: discipline will be key. The Illini hope it works. This is a program that has struggled to maintain success, only experiencing spurts over the past 25 or so years under coaches Mike White, John Mackovic, Lou Tepper, Ron Turner and Ron Zook. Each had their moments—but none could keep Illinois among the Big Ten’s best. Beckman arrives from Toledo with that objective. Know one thing: You better be on time if you are gonna play for Beckman.

Fran McCaffrey is disappointed that Matt Gatens wasn’t first-team All-Big Ten, writes Pat Harty of the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Really? While I think Gatens is an exceptional player and perhaps the best shooter in the Big Ten, I don’t think he was one of the top five players in the Big Ten. Guys like Michigan State’s Draymond Green, Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger, Wisconsin’s Jordan Taylor, Penn State’s Tim Frazier, Michigan’s Trey Burke, Purdue’s Robbie Hummel, Indiana’s Cody Zeller and Northwestern’s John Shurna all deserved to be honored over Gatens. Sorry, Fran.

Pat Fitzgerald doesn’t want bowls to be limited to picking seven-win teams, says Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune. I beg to differ with Fitz on this. There are too many middling bowls that feature middling teams. Where is the reward for going to the postseason when .500 teams are able to play in bowls? There is no reward. It’s akin to youth soccer, where every kid gets a trophy for playing. Look, I love football. But more isn’t always better—and that’s the case with a postseason that has a six-win minimum. Push the bar to seven wins for bowl eligibility. It will improve the quality of the bowls—and make getting to the postseason more meaningful. If not, just scrap most of the bowls and let everyone play a 13th regular-season game. And we also will give juice pouches and Gold Fish to everyone!